Finely chop enough lemongrassstalks to measure 4 teaspoons. Cut remaining stalks in half. Place beef and stalks in large pot. Add broth and 8 cups water; bring to boil. Reduce heat; simmer 1 1/2 hours.Heat oil in medium skillet over medium heat. Add 1/3 of sliced onions and garlic; saut 1 minute. Add 1 tablespoon sambal oelek, paprika, and chopped lemongrass; saut 1 minute...

Make broth:Roast onions and ginger directly on rack of a gas burner over high heat, turning with tongs, until blistered and blackened, 10 to 15 minutes. (Alternatively, broil onions and ginger on foil-lined rack of a broiler pan about 5 inches from heat, turning occasionally, until charred, 20 to 25 minutes for onions; 25 to 30 minutes for ginger.) Transfer to a bowl and cool...

Place tamarind in metal bowl; add enough boiling water to cover. Let stand 15 minutes to soften. Drain. Press pulp through sieve, reserving 3 tablespoons strained pulp.Using scissors, cut shell of each shrimp all the way to tail end, exposing vein. Remove vein. Loosen shrimp shells but do not remove.Mix shallots and garlic in small bowl; set aside 1 tablespoon shallot mixture. Tuck remaining shallot mixture under shrimp shells...

For marinated daikon and carrots:Whisk first 3 ingredients in large bowl until dissolved. Add daikon and carrots; toss to coat. Let stand at room temperature 2 hours. (Can be prepared 5 days ahead. Cover and chill.) Drain well.For sandwiches:Mix first 8 ingredients in 13x9x2-inch baking dish. Add chicken; turn to coat. Let marinate at room temperature 1 hour, turning often.Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat) or preheat broiler...

Place cabbage in a bowl and cover with salted water. Set aside. Combine soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, garlic, chile, and lime juice. Add more lime juice to taste. In a large bowl, combine jicama, carrot, and oil. Drain cabbage and crush it a bit between your hands. Toss cabbage with jicama mixture, then with soy dressing. Add salt and pepper to taste. Divide among 4 plates and top with with mint, nuts, and grapefruit. Serve...

Place the chicken cubes in a large bowl and add garlic powder, salt, and black pepper. Cover and place in refrigerator. Combine the soy sauce, dark soy sauce, water, white vinegar, lemon juice, and sugar in a bowl and set aside. Heat a 4-quart saucepot or clay pot over low heat. Add brown candy pieces or brown sugar and melt slowly over medium heat, stirring frequently to avoid sticking and burning...

Preheat oven to 375 F. In a small saucepan, bring milk and cream to a simmer over low heat. Place brioche cubes in bowl. Remove milk mixture from heat and pour half of the liquid over the brioche. In a mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add cinnamon, nutmeg, and egg yolks, beating well. Add pumpkin pur ©e and the other half of the heated cream and milk. Fold the soaked brioche into the pumpkin mixture...

Heat 4 cups canola oil in a 2-quart pot to 375 F. Working in batches, deep-fry the cubes of tofu until golden brown, making sure they don\'t stick to each other. Wait between batches for oil to return to 375 . Drain tofu on paper towels. Heat a wok or large skillet over high heat until hot. Add 3 tablespoons canola oil. Add onion and garlic, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring...

For stir-fry sauce:In a medium bowl, combine the chicken stock, fish sauce, and sugar. Stir until the sugar dissolves. For shrimp:Peel the shrimp and slice in half lengthwise. Remove any veins. Wash the shrimp under cold water, pat dry with paper towels, and set aside. Clean the shiitake mushrooms with a dry, clean towel or brush. Cut the mushrooms into 1/4-inch slices. Wash the baby bok choy and cut into 1-inch pieces. Set aside to dry...

Heat oil in heavy medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add shallot and garlic; saute until just beginning to brown, about 2 minutes. Add rice, broth, salt, and turmeric. Bring rice to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed, about 18 minutes...

Preheat oven to 350 F.Whisk 1/4 cup oil, 3 tablespoons fish sauce, 1 tablespoon sugar, and next 6 ingredients in large bowl. Add chicken; turn to coat. Marinate at room temperature 1 hour.Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in 12-inch ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken, skin side down, to skillet (reserve marinade in bowl). Cook 4 minutes. Turn chicken, add reserved marinade to skillet, and transfer to oven...

In a bowl, toss shrimp with ginger, wine, and oil. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 20 minutes. For dressing:Mix lime juice, sugar, Splenda, soy sauce, garlic, and pepper flakes in a bowl; set aside. Core lettuce and separate leaves; rinse and dry them. Cook shrimp with its marinade in a medium pan or wok over medium-high heat, turning shrimp until opaque, 2 or 3 minutes...

Soak noodles in hot water 10 minutes, then drain in a large sieve. Cook noodles in a 4-quart pot of boiling water, uncovered, until tender, about 1 minute. Drain in sieve and rinse under cold water until cold. Drain well and pat noodles dry. Whisk together vinegar, sugar, fish sauce, and salt in a large bowl until sugar and salt are dissolved. Add noodles, carrot, scallions, herbs, and peanuts, tossing to combine...

Pound chops between 2 large sheets of plastic wrap with flat side of a meat pounder or with a rolling pin until less than 1/8 inch thick. Make several small 1/4-inch-deep slits around edge of each chop to prevent curling, then halve chops lengthwise and transfer to a bowl. Cook sugar in a dry 1-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, undisturbed, until it begins to melt...

For dipping sauce:Mix all ingredients in small bowl. Season sauce to taste with salt. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.) For pork:Mix first 6 ingredients and 2 tablespoons oil in 11x7-inch glass dish. Add pork chops to marinade, turn several times to coat evenly, then crowd together in single layer. Cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes and up to 2 hours...

For dressing:Whisk all ingredients in small bowl to blend. For salad:Mix oyster sauce, Sherry, tamari soy sauce, minced garlic, and brown sugar in medium bowl. Stir in steak. Marinate steak at least 30 minutes and up to 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Combine watercress, mizuna, lettuce, basil, cucumber, and tomatoes in large bowl. Add half of dressing and toss to coat. Arrange greens mixture on large rimmed platter...

Marinate chicken:Whisk together garlic, sugar, fish sauce, oil, lime juice, and hot sauce in a large bowl until sugar is dissolved. Add chicken and toss to coat, then marinate 15 minutes. Make pickle while chicken marinates:Cut carrots and radish into 1/8-inch-thick matchsticks (2 inches long) with slicer. Whisk together vinegar, sugar, and salt in a bowl until sugar is dissolved, then add vegetables and toss to combine...

Cut peel from pineapple in a thin layer and discard, then trim outer layer of pineapple, cutting just deep enough to remove eyes but allowing pineapple to remain intact, and transfer trimmings to a blender. Quarter pineapple lengthwise and cut out core, then coarsely chop core and transfer to blender. Pur ©e with 2 cups water until smooth...

Make dipping sauce:Stir together sugar and water until sugar is dissolved. Stir in remaining sauce ingredients, then chill, covered, at least 2 hours. Prepare filling:Put noodles in a large bowl and cover with hot water by several inches. Soak, pulling noodles apart and stirring occasionally, 10 minutes. Drain noodles and cut into 2- to 3-inch pieces (you should have about 3 cups), then transfer to another large bowl...

Cook noodles in a 4-quart pot of boiling water (not salted) 4 minutes, then add snow peas and boil 1 minute. Drain in a colander and rinse under cold running water to stop cooking. Drain well. Divide noodles and snow peas among 4 large soup bowls. Cook shallots, ginger, and chile in oil in same pot over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until shallots are browned, 7 to 8 minutes. Add broth and water and simmer, uncovered, 10 minutes...

Stir together all ingredients in a bowl until sugar is dissolved. Cooks\' note: Sauce can be made 2 hours ahead and kept, covered, at room temperature...

Stir together all ingredients...

Cook shallot in 2 tablespoons oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until golden, 3 to 5 minutes. Add chile and cook, stirring, until softened, about 1 minute. Add mangoes, fish sauce, sugar, and salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until mango is softened and mixture is slightly thickened, 3 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in lime juice. Transfer relish to a bowl...

Make sauce: Stir together all sauce ingredients in a small bowl until sugar is dissolved. Make rolls: Add shrimp to a 4- to 5-quart pot of boiling salted water, then reduce heat and poach shrimp at a bare simmer, uncovered, until just cooked through, about 3 minutes. Transfer shrimp with a slotted spoon to a bowl of ice and cold water to stop cooking, then return shrimp cooking water to a boil...

For dipping sauce: Whisk all ingredients in medium bowl until sugar dissolves. Let stand at least 30 minutes. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; chill.) For rice-paper rolls: Heat oil in medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and saut © until soft, about 5 minutes. Cool. Place rice sticks in large bowl; add enough hot water to cover. Let stand until softened, about 30 minutes. Drain. Cut into 6-inch lengths; set aside...